Grieving America

As I’ve been sitting on the couch this morning, watching news coverage of the tragic events from 12 years ago, my heart is grieving for my country. Not just for the families who still bear the heart scars from having their loved ones taken from them by merciless terrorists, or the countless firefighters, policemen and rescue workers who gave their lives for the benefit of others, or the mothers’ who are left holding a folded flag instead of their child today, because they gave their lives to protect mine. 

But today my grief is much deeper. I am grieving over America, not just for America. 

I am sometimes astonished at how much change has happened in my beloved country in just 12 short years. Just days after the attack on our country, there was not a street you could drive down where you didn’t see American flags hanging proudly from each home. Churches were full, because for the first time in a long time we had our priorities straight. People were kind to each other, and stood proudly in support of our boys who were fighting against the evil that had attacked us. And I will never forget what that felt like. United We Stand actually meant something to me.

I felt like we were standing together for what was right. No, we definitely weren’t perfect as a country, but when shaken, American’s still had a moral core and did what needed to be done to assure we got the job done.

Today, I don’t feel that way. 

I no longer feel that Americans have strong morals deep in their core. We no longer know what is right and what is wrong. What is justice and injustice. Truth has stumbled in the street.

“Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; 

For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter.” 

Isaiah 59:14

What determines what is right today in our culture is what you see as right. And no one can judge you for expressing yourself. And as a result, so much evil and immorality is tolerated in our society. Things that are appalling and should bring shame and embarrassment are displayed on television and radio as the norm or at the very least “someone expressing their individuality.”

I am astonished at how much immorality can be displayed on channels like HGTV. My husband and I have to turn the channel to something else countless times because of couple living together who aren’t married, or homosexual couples being featured on the show. Yes, many would call us intolerant and judgmental, but my God is the one who says its an abomination and sin, and we both would rather err on His side than the world’s. 

When did we become so immune to sin? When did we lose our conscience and morality? When did such abhorrent things in the eyes of our God become the norm? So much so that no one even gives it a second thought? This country was founded on Christian principles...so there is no one to blame but ourselves. We as Christians have dropped the ball big time. 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil 

is for good men to do nothing." 

Edmund Burke

I think it is a shameful thing for a Christian nation to turn pagan. For those who have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord, to then reject it. What judgement we are bringing upon ourselves! I don’t even think we can comprehend what is coming. God is a merciful God, but He is also just, and will not tolerate sin.

My heart grieves over America because we know the truth, and have chosen to throw that away and create our own truth.

As Christians, we must repent first of our own contribution to the sin of our country. And we need to repent of our tolerance of the things God hates. We need to stand for truth, no matter what ridicule or consequences it may bring. We need to stop being afraid of being viewed as intolerant or bigots, and stop caring what others think more than what our Lord thinks. He is the one we need to obey and please!

Will you join me in praying for our country? And not just in praying, but in living out the truth before our fellow American’s? 

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; 

Who substitute darkness for light and light for 

darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet 

for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes 

And clever in their own sight!” 

Isaiah 5:20-21

The Little Rebel Inside

*Warning* 

This post reveals the often sinful heart condition of the 

author. For those who wish to hold to the illusion that I 

am perfect and have it all together do not need 

to read any further. :)

The Lord broke through my rebellious heart tonight.

Have you ever experienced a time when you see, without any filtering, your sinfulness? In all its ugliness. In all its filth. You just see it for what it is.

Tonight was one of those nights for me.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a very stubborn person. I mean very. Blame it on heredity, blame it on my personality, either way the truth is: I am stubborn. And this is not a good thing.

Lately though, my stubbornness has been rearing its ugly head in the area of submitting to/obeying my parents.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have the most amazing parents. They love the Lord, and are such great examples in my life. They have sacrificed so much for me, given me more than I could ever deserve, and have taught me to follow the Lord. Without them I know I would not know the Lord the way that I do.

Why in the world would it be hard to honor and obey such terrific parents?

I’m stubborn remember??? And on top of that, I think I’m right the majority of the time. I’ve got it figured out, and I don’t need someone to tell me what to do.

I’ve been letting the wisdom of the world, and the tendencies of my wicked heart to dominate the way I view my parents. I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how I want to do it.

After all, no one else my age has to live under the same rules I do!

Even as I type these words, I feel such shame that these were the thoughts of my heart. They seem so blatantly rebellious when written down...yet I somehow managed to justify them when they are whispered in my heart. 

But thankfully, the Lord was not fooled. He brought me to my knees, broken and grieved over my sin. He revealed just how wicked and rebellious my heart had been, and brought me to a place of repentance and surrender. 

He reminded me of His commands for me as a child of my parents:

“Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 

Honor your father and mother (which is the first 

commandment with a promise), so that it will be well with 

you, and that you may live long on the earth.”

Ephesians 6:1-3

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this 

is well-pleasing to the Lord.” 

Colossians 3:20

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake

your mother’s teaching;”

Proverbs 1:8

These verses are so cut and dry. They are to the point and there’s no arguing with the command here. Obey. Honor. Heed Instruction.

I am called, no matter what my age, to obey and honor my parents. Yes, this is a strange concept in our culture. At age 18 we are considered to be “adults” and on our own. We have the freedom to make our own decisions, do what we want, and answer only to ourselves. And this mindset of the world can so easily become my mindset.

But is that God’s way?

Not for my life it isn’t. The Lord has placed me under my parents’ care and authority in this moment. It can be such a blessing...that is, when my heart is right. :)

I have so much to be thankful for. I love my parents. And they love me unconditionally and consistently. They want what is best for me, even if it’s not what I want to hear. They have prayed for me since I was conceived, and have devoted their lives to pouring into me and showing me how to live for Jesus. I am so thankful for them.

My prayer tonight is for the Lord to give me a heart change. To give me a submissive and meek heart towards my parents. That I would joyfully submit to their authority and serve them from my heart. 

I want more than anything to be pleasing to the Lord in every area of my life. It's easy to be a saint when you're leading a Bible study, are at church or with your godly friends. But when I come home and no one else is looking, I want to still be found faithful. I want to honor those who know me best, who see me at my worst and yet still love me. I want to be faithful where it truly counts...because even if no one else sees the way I treat my parents, the Lord does. And He should be all I am striving to please. 

“...a wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish 

son is a grief to his mother.”

Proverbs 10:1

I want to bring gladness to my father and mother, and not grief.

The Good Part

It was a typical day. I was doing house work, and vacuuming up a storm. It's amazing how therapeutic vacuuming can be. :)

My mind was busy thinking over my schedule for the day.

I need to finish vacuuming this room, then move on to cleaning the bedroom.

I need to go the gym today, so I don't become a heifer.

Have we fed the animals today?

                                                                       I need to make something for dinner.

                                                                       Oh, and I need to read my Bible.

Then I heard that little voice inside of me whispering, "Martha, Martha." As I continued to vacuum,  I mulled over those age old words that Jesus spoke to Martha in Luke. It hit me that just as Martha had been distracted and too busy to sit at the feet of Jesus, I was doing the same thing. "I'll get to my Bible reading after I finish cleaning this." It had been my excuse all morning. 

My heart was so convicted, that I stopped vacuuming right there (which for my perfectionist self was a BIG deal!!), and went upstairs in my room spend some time at the Lord's feet. This is what I read:

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; 

and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her 

home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at 

the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was 

distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to 

Him and said, “Lord do you not care that my sister has 

left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help 

me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, 

Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many 

things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has 

chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away 

from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

I came to see that I am just like Martha. We would have gotten along great...but we would have both chosen the wrong part.

Now Martha is not the “bad guy” in this story. Far from it! She was being hospitable by welcoming Jesus into her home. Which is what we are called to do.

“Be hospitable to one another without complaint.”

1 Peter 4:9

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by 

this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Hebrews 13:2

Martha was obeying the Word by welcoming people into her home. The problem comes in verse 40:

“But Martha was distracted with all her preparations...”

The word distracted in this verse means “to be over-occupied, too busy about a thing.” Man, that is a very accurate description of the way I live most of my life. I am just so busy. So occupied. So distracted. And, like Martha, I often come to the Lord...not to sit at His feet, but to complain.

“...Lord do you not care that my sister has 

left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell 

her to help me.”

Lord, my life is hard! Look at all that I am doing...and by myself too! Don’t you care? I can’t do this alone...make her help me!! 

Jesus’ response to her is so kind, yet cuts right to the quick.

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about 

so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for 

Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be 

taken away from her.”

He doesn’t condemn Martha. He simply names what she’s doing. She is bothered about so many things. Then He points to Mary, the object to which Martha directed her frustration. Mary has chosen the good part. What was this good part?

“...She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at 

the Lord's feet, listening to His word...”

Mary was at the feet of Jesus, listening to His word. She realized what was necessary. What was important. And this was not going to be taken away from her.

After reading these verses, tears filled my eyes. How had I let the cares of this world, and the distractions of life keep me from sitting at His feet? What else really matters? Yes, we have to work hard. Yes, there are things in life that we have to do. That’s not even the issue here. The real question is, are you and am I putting Him first? Are we choosing the good part. The part that is lasting and imperishable. Time spend with our Lord and in His Word.

Pray that I will live this out. That no matter how crazy life gets, I will still put Jesus first. That I will just sit at the feet of my Savior. 

That I will choose the good part.

He Knows Our Frame

“When Satan tempts me to despair, 

And tells me of the guilt within, 

Upward I look, and see him there

Who made an end of all my sin.”

~ Before the Throne ~

Grace. That little word holds such a profound and life changing meaning. I know I never fully comprehend what it means. It seems that just when I think I understand it, some circumstance in my life reveals just how little I know about the grace of God.

grace - to find favor in the eyes of someone, to be acceptable to him, unmerited favor

When I believed in Christ as the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit came and dwelt inside of me, I changed. The Lord brought me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13). My entire identity changed because of Him, in that He made me His child and co-heir with Christ.

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, 

that we would be called children of God; and such we 

are. For this reason the world does not know us, 

because it did not know Him.”

1 John 3:1

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are 

children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God 

and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him 

so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Romans 8:16-17

That being said, there is one thing that didn’t change. And that is my flesh. I sometimes forget that a battle rages inside of me daily. The battle between the Spirit of God living inside of me and the flesh that destroys me.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out 

the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire 

against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for 

these are in opposition to one another, so that you may 

not do the things that you please.”

Galatians 5:16-17

And when I forget or lose sight of this battle, I am caught off guard by my sin. When I fail to walk by the Spirit and the flesh wins, I am left discouraged and dispirited. I want to hide from the very One who has the power to deliver me from the sins I have committed, too ashamed to face Him. “He must be so disappointed in me.” 

But is this true?

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, so 

the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that 

we are but dust.”

Psalm 103:14-15

As our Father, He is compassionate towards us, and remembers the fact that we are but dust. He is not surprised by our weaknesses, or by our failures. Does He condone them? Certainly not. But is He disappointed in us? No. He is compassionate towards His children.

Christ Jesus, our Savior and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), is our High Priest. He is the One who makes propitiation for our sins (Heb. 2:17). And He understands.

“For since He Himself was tempted in that which He 

has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those 

who are tempted.”

Hebrews 2:18

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize 

with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in 

all things as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 4:15

Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses. He’s been there. The only difference is, He never caved or gave in. He was sinless. But He still understands. And He can come to our aid when we are tempted to give into our flesh. How precious is this? What hope! 

So my encouragement to you is this: when you fail, when you sin, don’t let that keep you from seeking the face of God. Don’t let Satan temp you to despair. When those feelings of utter unworthiness consume you, remember who you are in Christ. You and I ARE unworthy. We are nothing apart from Him. But as His children, we are forgiven. We must remember His grace.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, 

the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to 

the riches of His grace...”

Ephesians 1:7

Now, I am not condoning sin. You and I must repent and turn from our sins. We cannot continue in sin.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so 

that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall 

we who died to sin still live in it?” 

Romans 6:1-2

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under 

law but under grace? May it never be!”

Romans 6:15

The grace of God is indescribably beautiful. But it is not to be abused. We are still called to be obedient to His commands and precepts. We have died to sin, and must not live in it. Sin must not be a habitual thing in our lives as believers.

But when we do sin, we must confess it from a broken and sincere heart. True repentance will equal a turning away from those sins. And when we do this, God will forgive us.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous 

to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all 

unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken 

and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Psalm 51:17

So take heart. The Lord is never surprised by our weaknesses, and He is compassionate towards those of us who are His children. He remembers we are but dust. And He forgives us when we repent and cry out to Him from a broken heart. 

So don’t become dispirited by the times you fail. When you lose the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. We may lose a battle here and there, but Christ Jesus has already won the war!

“Because a sinless Savior died, 

My sinful soul is counted free; 

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me”

~ Before the Throne ~